#winterliciousTO: Il Fornello Restaurant

Hello 2019!! Happy New Year! Last year was the year of the dog as per the Chinese zodiac and they say when it’s your golden year – big life moments happen. That it did! Having said that, this blog has been created since around 2014 with a couple domain changes and a foggy focus.

We are back – and in full swing. I’m going to have a separate blog post about where I’ve been, why I took a big break and the journey this has taken me. On a positive note and warm thoughts, let’s get into the winter food adventures!

#WinterliciousTO (January 25 to February 3, 2019)
For those who don’t know, in Toronto during the summer and winter times there are limited prix-fixe menu options from about 200 restaurants across the city popularized for their quality of dishes! You’re getting (hopefully) bang for your buck as these menu items would usually cost more than the fixed prices the Winterlicious offers:
Lunch – $23 / $28 / $33 and/or Dinner – $33 / $43 / $53

They are marketed as an Italian casual fine-dining restaurant with locations across the GTA. My best friends and I were checking out an art exhibit prior to the restaurant and we called around so many places for last-minute reservations but due to the weekend times, wait was around 40 minutes!

However! Il Fornello had reservations ready for us in 20 minutes which was fantastic. One of my friends is also a vegetarian, and Il Fornello has plant-based as well as VEGAN options! It was such a treat and truly a gift how things just work out.

Appetizers I tried the butternut squash soup which was great! Very tasty and flavourful, though I did one too many bread sticks prior (typical)! Below is their “greens salad” which was nothing too special however great New Year health kick!

Winterlicious Menu (3 Courses)

Group table photo below! The top right, “Tagliatelle” pasta dish with lentil, mushroom ‘Bolognese’ sauce (vegetarian approved). She said it was slightly spicy however tasted meaty without the meat! Very saucy and yummy.

The right bottom is the “Mushroom Risotto” with Arbrio rice with mushrooms, grana padano, truffle paste! This dish could also be served as vegan too for all my non-animal/by product eaters. It was very creamy, filling and definitely the right amount of mushroom without being too bland.

Bottom left is the “Linguine Di Mare” which is like a seafood pasta comprised of shrimp, calamari, mussels, bay scallops in a tomato sauce. It was too filling for me, but I definitely enjoyed my meal!

The Winterlicious dinner at Il Fornello was $33 (per person, before tax) and I think was very reasonable given the quality, taste, and portion!

All were fantastic, but favourites were that panna cotta and gelato.. dreaming of it!

*This was our personal opinions and comparisons amongst the Winterlicious dinners we’ve experienced in the past.

Cheers to the New Year and a fantastic #Winterlicious2019 adventure! I hope our recap was a good little read for next years Winterlicious festivities.

If you want bang for your buck, good sizing, not a long wait-time and comfort foods of Italian cuisine and a good vibe – check Il Fornello out! It was personally our first time there and we would recommend it! Thanks for reading, and we’ll talk soon!